HISTORY
Ifugao State University (IFSU) with its main campus at Nayon, Lamut, Ifugao has undergone a progressive metamorphosis since its inception in 1920. It started as Nayon Settlement Farm School (NSFS) by American Educators. It closed at the outbreak of World War II and re-opened after liberation maintaining its general elementary instruction while engaging in agriculture projects particularly
vegetable, poultry, and swine production. The substantial success made in these agricultural projects must have provided the ideas for Filipino education officials who took over the leadership of the local education system. Brawner, Sr., District Supervisor of Kiangan (where Lamut was part), together with then Principal Raymundo de Leon conceived a type of instruction based on basic agriculture, for the Nayon Elementary School. Brawner was promoted as Assistant Superintendent for Baguio – Mt. Province Division and Mr. de Leon took over as District Supervisor, the duo continued to crystallize the plan. Soon, they submitted a proposal for the elevation of the institution to Congressman Luis Hora, Representative of the defunct 3rd District of Mt. Province which included Ifugao. The late Congressman Hora was enthusiastic with the proposal, discussed it with colleagues and higher education officials, and filed a bill in congress. It was approved sometime in 1959 as Republic Act (R.A.) 2432 elevating the school into the Ifugao Pilot Opportunity School of Agriculture (IPOSA). The IPOSA, with unique offering exclusively on the rudiments of agricultural skills to out - of - school youths and adults, started in March 1961. Indunan, then newly appointed Benguet Ifugao Apayao Kalinga Division Supervisor, together with General Education Supervisors from the Division for non-formal education assisted the implementation of the programs. Tasked to pioneer the leadership of the new type of school was Mr. Saturnino C. Cauton. With him were five school farm demonstrators and five administrative staff. Cauton headed the school until the end of 1966. He was succeeded by Mr. Albert B. Dimas in January 1967. In recognition of the ownership of the site of the institution, Congressman Luis Hora filed another Legislative Act re-naming the school into Payon Bugan Pilot Opportunity School of Agriculture (PBPOSA) in honor of Bugan, the original owner and donor of the land where the main campus of IFSU now stands. With Administrator Dimas, the school continued to grow especially with the offering of regular vocational agriculture and homemaking courses. Hon. Romulo B. Lumauig, first elected congressman of the new province of Ifugao, saw it fit that the school offers college courses and so he worked for the passage of R.A. 6453. The law that converted the PBPOSA into the Ifugao Agricultural and Technical College (IATC) which produced the first batch of graduates from two-year technical courses in agriculture and homemaking in 1975 and the first batch of graduates from the degree courses in Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (BSA) and
Bachelor of Science in Home Technology (BSHT) in 1977. During the Interim Batasan Pambansa, Assemblyman Gualberto B. Lumauig capped the steady upward metamorphosis of the institution with his Parliamentary
Bill No. 1326 which was approved by the late Former President Ferdinand E. Marcos in March 1982 as Batas Pambansa (BP)Blg. 189. It upgraded the IATC into the Ifugao State College of Agriculture and Forestry (ISCAF) integrating with it the former Potia National Agricultural School in Potia; and the Barangay Schools at Amduntog, Kiangan; Hacmal, Aguinaldo; Hapao, Hungduan, and Impugong, Tinoc. Thereupon, the autonomous chartered state college started its implementation in January 1983 with Superintendent Albert B. Dimas as Officer-In-Charge (OIC) President. In December 1985, Dr. Toribio B. Adaci was appointed as the1st College President. With Dr. Adaci, the College grew even higher with the offering of several degrees and Master’s programs. By virtue of R.A. 7722, otherwise known as the Higher Education Modernization Act of 1994, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) were separated fromthe Basic Education (Elementary and High School) and were subjected to the supervision of the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) while the latter with the Department of Education (DepEd). R.A 8292 authorized the integration of CHED Supervised Institutions (CSIs) to existing State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in the respective provinces. Thus, the Ifugao College of Arts and Trades (ICAT) at Lagawe was integrated to ISCAF in the year 1999 covered under Board Resolution No. 645. In February 2002, Dr. Adaci retired and the College was placed under interim management pending the search and election of a new President. Dr. Marcelo M. Roguel, President of the Nueva Vizcaya State Institute of Technology (NVSIT), was appointed as the Officer-In-Charge (OIC) President in a concurrent capacity. He moved to organize various academic units into Institutes and pushed for the accreditation of academic programs. On February 21, 2003, a new era was ushered in by the unanimous election of the 2nd President, Dr. Serafin L. Ngohayon. Dr. Ngohayon recognized the urgent need for a comprehensive development plan and worked for the immediate crafting, approval, and implementation of the ISCAF 8-Year Development Plan 2003–2011. The vision to transform ISCAF into a University was born and was vigorously pursued. The College developed on all fronts, i.e. more courses were opened all the way to the doctoral level (Ph.D.), curricular programs were standardized and accredited, systems were computerized, needed facilities improved, researches doubled, extension programs multiplied and income-generating projects put up. All of these helped elevate ISCAF from being a SUC level I to SUC Level III status in 2007. Recognizing the readiness of ISCAF and the clamor for a higher education institution in the province with a broader scope of operation and expansive course offerings, Congressman Solomon R. Chungalao of the Lone District of Ifugao, filed House Bill (HB) No. 926 seeking to convert ISCAF into the Ifugao State University (IFSU). The bill was later substituted as HB No. 4409 with other Congressman as co-sponsors. It was passed in the House of Representatives on September 16, 2008 and immediately transmitted to the Philippine Senate. Meanwhile, the move to convert ISCAF into a university gained support in the Philippine Senate with counterpart bills filed by Senator Aquilino Q. Pimentel (SB 1224) and Senator Manny A. Villar (SB 2658), respectively. Along with HB 4409, deliberations on the senate counterpart measures started on September 17, 2008 highlighted by a public hearing done on April 24, 2009 and its successful passage on the Senate floor for 2nd reading on July 27, 2009. With the full support of the
Senators and the Senate Leadership (Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Majority Floor leader Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education Manuel A Roxas lll and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance Edgardo J. Angara) the consolidated HB 4409 under committee report 536 was passed on 3rd and final reading on August 18, 2009. Thereafter, it was sent back to the House of Representatives for concurrence and subsequent signature of Speaker Prospero C. Nograles. It was returned to the senate for the signature of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile who formally transmitted it to Malacañang on September 17, 2009. The legislative task of transforming ISCAF into a University was completed on October 14, 2009 with the signing of Republic Act No. 9720 by her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo into law entitled “An Act Converting the Ifugao State College of Agriculture and Forestry And All Its Existing Campuses Located in the Province of Ifugao Into A University To Be Known As The Ifugao State University And Appropriating Funds Therefor." The formal operation of the Ifugao State University started on January 6, 2010 with a formal launching of the university status marked by the approval and adoption of the IFSU Code and the 5-Year 2010 - 2014 Development Plan. By virtue of Section 9 of R.A. 9720, Dr. Serafin L. Ngohayon is to be the 1st University President of the University. He was officially appointed and sworn into office on December 14, 2009. In 2018, another historic event unfolded. The Board of Regents elected the First woman and Second IFSU President, Dr. Eva Marie Codamon-Dugyon. By virtue of BOR Resolution No. 744 series of 2018, Dr. Dugyon was appointed as the new President of IFSU effective June 2, 2018 to June 1, 2022. During her first months, Dr. Dugyon convened the IFSU officials and stakeholders and crafted the 8-Year Development Plan (2018-2026). The 8-Year Strategic Plan outlined the new vision, mission, and goals of the University. Aside from this, a new organizational structure was approved by the BOR. Under her leadership, IFSU acquired the certification for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 Quality Management System (QMS) in respect to its General Administrative Support Services (GASS) and Department of Registrar and Admission Services (DRAS) on June 27, 2019,
Likewise, IFSU was recognized by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) under its Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy & Excellence in Human Resource Management (PRIME – HRM) Level II, the only SUC to be awarded such in the Cordillera region. IFSU celebrated its 100 Founding Anniversary on October 14 2020 with the theme, “IFSU @ 100: Celebrating a Century of Academic Service." On the same day, IFSU celebrated also its 11th Charter Day anniversary since its transformation into a university. Currently, IFSU has six campuses, namely: Lamut (Main), Lagawe, Hapao, Potia, Aguinaldo, and Tinoc.
